Electric switch



July 21, 1942. P, Hufi 2,290,641

ELECTRIG SWITCH Filed .April 3, 1941 I I F 'g O 8 l6 4s -?""'*'1 45 i i .3 A i l! 4 1 I I a 42 l 2/ j 1. 30 c I [I'll I --0 i i ii/77???? I Inventor:

Philip Hutt,

His Attorney.

Patented July 21, 1942 ELECTRIC SWITCH Philip Butt, Milford, .Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation oi New York Application April 3, 1941, Serial No. 386,685

4 Claims.

My invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to electric switches provided with liquid contact circuit controllers.

My invention has reference to an electric switch employing liquid contact circuit controllers of the type disclosed in the Sambleson Patent 2,142,151, dated January 3, 1939, which is assigned to the same assignee as the. instant invention.

An object of my invention is the provision of an improved construction and arrangement in the operating mechanism for the circuit controller in switches of this type.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an improved operated mechanism for simultaneously rotating a plurality of circuit controllers in a switch of the type disclosed.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a front view of the switch with a portion of the dust cover broken away; Fig. 2 is a view of the interior of the switch; Fig. 3 is a side view of the switch partly'in section showing the switch in one position; Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3 showing the switch in another position;

and Fig. 5 is an end view of the .interior of the known as a four-wayswitch. The structure of thecircuit controllers and their arrangement in the switch will now be briefly described for consideration with my invention. For a more detained explanation of the construction of the circuit controllers, reference may be made to the Sambleson patent.

Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawing, I have shown a liquid contact circuit controller having a pair of cup-shaped terminal members ll separated by means of a glass bead l2 the body of the controller being divided into two sections by a ceramic barrier (not shown) having an orifice therein so that mercury contained within the controller can establish contact through the orifice with each of the terminal members. The

In the four-way switch illustrated, four liquid contact circuit controllers are employed and are cess and provided with a terminal portion carrydesignated A, B, C and D. They are disposed in a recess 13 formed in a housing 14 of insulating material, such as a molded plastic. The circuit controllers are arranged in the housing in pairs and are supported by contact arms having bearing portions seated in depressions H formed in the terminal members II. The cup-shaped terminals on one side of the controllers A and C are supported on a contact arm 15 which extends along the side wall of the recess and is provided with a terminal portion extending outside the recess carrying a terminal screw l6. Similarly,

1 the cup-shaped terminals on one side of the controllers B and D are supported on a contact arm I! extending along the opposite wall of the reing a terminal screw 18. The other terminals of the controllers A' and B are supported by the spaced upstanding arms 19 of a contact arm 20; the contact arm 20 has an offset portion 21 secured in any suitable manner as by spot welding to another arm 22 which passes beneath the controller C and is provided with a terminal portion extending outside the recess carrying a terminal screw 23. Similarly, the other cup-shaped terminals of the circuit controllers C and D are supported by the spaced arms 24 of a contact arm 25 which, in turn, is provided with an offset portion 26 secured to a contact arm 21; the contact arm 21 passes beneath thev circuit controller D and is provided with a portion extending beyond the recess carrying a terminal screw 28. The switch structure thus far described is substantially the same as that shown and described in the aforementioned Sambleson patent.

In the construction of the Sambleson patent the operating handle or trigger of the switch is pivotally mounted on a separate pin carried by the housing and movement of the handle is translated into rotation of the circuit controllers by means of a reciprocating link engaging the circuit controller and handle. Separate spring biasing means is required to maintain the link in engagement with the circuit controllers.

operating mechanism by eliminating the separate pivotal mounting for the handle and the necessity of additional biasing means for the link. i it" To this end I provide a switch operating handle or trigger 30 of insulating material, such as a molded plastic, which is provided with an insert 3!. The insert 3| is formed in two parts comprising spaced strip metal blades 32 and 33 extending up into a recess 34 in the handle, as

My invention contemplates an improvement in this K trollers.

shown by Fig. 5. Two arms 35 and 36 of insulating material, such as sheet fiber, are pivotally mounted at-spaced points 31 and 33 between the blades 32 and 33 by means of rivets or eyelets. The arms are each formed as an obtuse angle extending from the pivot points 31 and 38 as an apex and together they carry levers 39 pivotally connected to the arms at spaced points 40 and 4|. The levers 39 extend on opposite sides of the trigger insert 3| in positions substantially parallel thereto. A lever 39 is mounted on each side of the arms 35 and 36 and is provided with a laterally offset extension or bearing surface 42 which rests on one of the cupshaped terminals of a corresponding circuit closer. Each bearing surface 42 is formed with a projection 43 resting in a notch 44 formed in I the cup-shaped terminal of the circuit controller. In this manner the circuit controllers are moved in response tomovement of the levers 39.

The trigger assembly comprising the blades 32 and 33, the arms 35 and 36 and the levers 39 is held in assembled position on the circuit controllers by means of a mounting strap 45 which carries spring strips 46 engaging projections 41 formed on opposite sides of the handle 30 to bias the assembly into engagement with the circuit controllers. The mounting strap is secured to the housing by drive pins 48. A dust cover 49 of sheet fiber insulating material is supported between the edge of the housing and the mounting strap and substantially closes the recess l3.

When the handle is moved the whole trigger assembly moves about the circuit controllers as supports.

Movement of the handle in either direction is limited by engagement of the abutments or projections 41 with the offset portions 50 formed in the spring strips 46. Opposite ends of the handle are formed with curved recesses 5| to accommodate portions of the circuit controllers and arms.39 so that contact between these elements and the handle is avoided when the handle is moved to extreme position in ei her direction.

Movement of the handle causes simultaneous and like rotation of the circuit controllers under point removed from the centers of rotation of the circuit controllers, this point being determined by the shape of arms 35 and 36. A separate pivoted support for the handle is unnecessary since the handle is carried directly by the circuit con- Inasmuch as the arms 35 and 36 are formed of insulating material the respective pairs of circuit controllers A--B and CD are insulated from one another. The mechanism of the trigger assembly operates in the space between the respective pairs of contact arms [9 and 24.

While my operating mechanism has been illustrated and described as incorporated in a fourway switch, it should be manifest that it may be used equally as well in other switches in which four circuit controllers are employed.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In an electric switch, spaced liquid contact circuit controllers operable by rotation, a lever for each circuit controller cooperating therewith for rotating the circuitcontroller upon movement of the lever, spaced arms pivotally connected at opposite ends to each lever at spaced points along the lengths of said levers, an operating member located between said circuit controllers and being connected to eachof said spaced arms at points spaced along the length of said member, and spring means exerting a force on said operating member to maintain each of said levers in 00- operating engagement with a corresponding circuit controller whereby said circuit controllers are rotated together upon pivotal movement of said operating member.

2. In an electric switch, spaced liquid contact circuit controllers operable by rotation, a lever for each circuit controller having a projection fitting a complementary depression in a corresponding circuit controller, spaced arms pivotally connected at opposite ends to each lever at spaced points along the lengths of said levers, an operating member located between the circuit controllers and being connected to each of said spaced arms at points along the length of said member, and spring means exerting a force on said operating member to maintain said projections in engagement with the depressions during movement of said levers whereby said circuit controllers are rotated together upon pivotal movement of said operating member.

3. In an electric switch, a housing of insulating material, spaced liquid contact circuit controllers mounted in said housing and being operable by rotation, a lever for each circuit controller, a lever and a corresponding circuit controller having complementary projecting and depressed portions for rotating the circuit controller upon movement of the lever, spaced arms pivotally connected at their opposite ends to each lever at spaced points along the lengths of said levers, an operating member located between the circuit controllers and being pivotally connected to each of said spaced arms at points spaced along the length of saidmember, a strap carried by said housing for mounting the switch, and spring means carried by said strap for exerting a force on said operating member to maintain the levers and circuit controllers in assembled position whereby said circuit controllers are rotated together upon pivotal movement of said operating member.

4. An operating mechanism for an electric switch provided with spaced liquid contact circuit controllers comprising, in combination, an operating member having a portion extending between the circuit controllers, spaced elongated arms pivotally connected to said operating member atpoints spaced along the length of said member, a lever pivotally connected to the corresponding end of each arm on opposite sides of said operating member whereby said levers are rocked in response to pivotal, movement of said operating member, each of said levers being provided with means engaging a corresponding circuit controller, and spring means biasing said operating member to maintain the levers in engagement with the corresponding circuit controllers.

' PHILIP HUTT. 

